The New World

The Children of the Mirror

Propelled at lightning speed by the chisteras of the young Chosen Ones, the ball slammed against the glass high walls. The team of three to which Tecumseh belonged was well ahead in points and had already completed the required tricks. Their opponents ran to the other end of the large field in the shape of a capital I and limited themselves to trying to save honor.

On a sudden impulse, Tecumseh decided to attempt the ultimate blow: passing the stone ring. The ball came at him at 200 km/h. He received her without difficulty in his chistera.

He announced his move to the referee to whom the players were all connected in direct thought.

Tecumseh concentrated for a few fractions of a second, aiming intensely at the ring. Standing out against the intense blue sky, it was placed vertically on the right pediment, more than fifteen feet high, in the neutral zone separating the two camps. With a quick winding movement of his arm he threw the ball again at a rather slow speed. If this shot missed, their opponents would equalize and the match would have to restart. Everyone, on the field or in the audience, held their breath as the ball rose towards the dazzling sun.

After a trajectory whose summit exceeded the height of the ring, the ball descended slightly and finally crossed the narrow stone circle. Applause and cheers erupted from the audience. The match was over.

The players took off their helmets, quickly wiped their faces and trudged towards the exit of the field.

Tecumseh entered his small room, took off his sweat-soaked clothes and entered the bathroom. His roommate, Lutz, was focused on reading and didn't glance at him. Under the warm water that flowed in waves above his head Tecumseh relaxed, his mind a little asleep from the intense effort of the game of pelota. He finished with cold water which seized him and brought him out of his torpor. He dried himself quickly, left the bathroom and chose a clean outfit from his closet: white pants and shirt. It was the uniform of novices.

He lay down on his bunk, his eyes turned towards the ceiling, waiting for the dinner.

More than dinner, he was eager to talk to his father afterwards: they had an appointment.

For several weeks he had been leading a studious and sporting life at the ProMental institute. The program was the same, but more intense, than the one he followed when he was just starting out. Most of the days were devoted to active induction sessions through which the novices assimilated enormous quantities of knowledge on subjects as varied as theology, history, philosophy, and sciences. They also played a lot of sports. The rest was shared between masses, meals, and sleep.

He kept a low profile and worked diligently. They had been taught that it was no longer necessary for them to transfer since they no longer risked spirit devouring. Connecting to wells of happiness was tolerated but now considered a sign of weakness for the elite of the society of which they were a part.

The Masters had revealed to them that entering into a direct connection – that is to say without going through the Network – was tolerated among the Chosen. For ordinary people this constituted a potential threat to people's mental integrity since a malicious person could take control of someone else. This is why religion considered it a capital sin. But for the Chosen it was different: they were the best of the best, and therefore no malice was to be feared.

They had thus been taught how a sufficiently determined group could win mental contests in direct connection. Debates, discussions, arguments, everything was now resolved this way. According to the Masters, this developed aggression and solidarity. Tecumseh had been able to assess his mental power and its effect on his fellow students and even his Masters.

The day before they had been informed that they would be leaving the following week for three months of military training. He did not accept being absent for the next three months. He had decided to flee this "insane asylum" as he had called it, in code, to his parents and friends. In a few days he would escape from the Institute. His plan was ready.

And now he was determined to turn these practices against the very people who had brought them there.

The alarm sounded in his thoughts. It was timeto go to dinner.